Matt Varga Successful marketing can be measured by what sticks in the minds of consumers. By that metric, enlisting longtime friend Drake to promote Kevin Durant’s latest KD 19 has been a smash success. Playing into his Torontonian roots (and accent) and his SNL-style comedy chops, the rapper has been able to mint instantly successful monikers for Durant’s flooded colorways. While we know the “Purple Stuff” KD 19s by their official title, many more understood them as the “Purps.” The name recognition for the “Candies” overall might outpace anything out of Nike’s rank-and-file marketing division.
The whole way through this latest Drake x Kevin Durant chapter, we’ve had the NOCTA KD 19 top of mind, a reported collaboration that eventually resulted in some beta-version samples, but there have been no further updates since then. Though it may not be footwear yet, the relationship between rapper and hooper now culminates in a co-designed apparel collection.
Designed for on and off the court, NOCTA’s general subversive style is on display, chiefly by reaching for Kevin Durant’s infamous yearbook photo where an adolescent Slim Reaper flexed with a calm $50. That grainy image is used here on a tee and a cut-off tank. In another history-laden design, the brand turns to where KD finished his varsity days, blacking out the letters on a “MONTROSE CHRISTIAN” jersey to nod at its name instead. Finally, to ensure you can bring this collection onto the hardwood, performance inclusions like single-leg tights, 2-in-1 basketball shorts, and a base-layer top slide in.
The NOCTA x Kevin Durant x Nike apparel collection drops at 12 AM EST via Nocta.com, with retail pricing ranging from $55 to $130. The full collection can be viewed, and likely purchased, at the link HERE.
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